Macho Dudes Have an Edge in Less-Developed Countries

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Whether a strong jaw wins a guy much sway with the ladies may
depend on what country he lives in.

Scientists have found that women in less-developed countries are
more likely to prefer guys with faces that hint at high levels of
testosterone than women in more-developed countries. That may be
because women in less-developed societies are more focused on
good
genes for their offspring, whereas women in more-developed
societies with less fear of disease may care more about
commitment, said study researcher Fhionna Moore, a psychologist
at the University of Dundee in Scotland.

"Testosterone is probably associated with a trade-off in women's
mate preferences," Moore told LiveScience. "While on the one
hand it may signal a strong, heritable immune system that women
should benefit from obtaining for their offspring, it is also
associated with negative personality characteristics such as
aggression and low commitment to a relationship. So, the optimal
solution to this trade-off depends upon current demands."

Manly faces

Testosterone is a masculinizing hormone (though women make it
too, just at lower levels than men). High testosterone during
development is linked to facial features such as a chiseled jaw,
broad face, narrow eyes and rugged cheekbones — think young Paul
Newman, or Twilight werewolf Taylor Lautner. Studies have found
that during fertile times of their menstrual cycle, women
prefer these manly faces over more feminine good looks.

Testosterone actually suppresses the immune system, so scientists
theorize that manly facial features are a way to advertise good
genes: In other words, the theory goes, guys with macho faces
have such awesome genes — which confer such strong immune systems
and good health that they can overcome the handicap of extra
testosterone just for the purpose of flaunting a square jawline.
[ Macho
Man: 10 Wild Facts About His Body ]

But Moore and her colleagues found some strange patterns to
women's testosterone preferences. In the United Kingdom, women
liked men with high testosterone most in cases where his face
also showed signs of high levels of the stress hormone cortisol
(cortisol contributes to a softer, round-faced look). In the
less-developed nation of Latvia, women simply preferred
higher-testosterone men, with cortisol showing no effect.

The researchers wanted to know if there was any rhyme or reason
to these country-by-country differences. They recruited 2,842
women, average age 26, from 13 countries. Most of the women
completed the study online, with the exception of a group from
rural Cameroon. Other nations represented included the United
States, the United Kingdom, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Poland,
South Africa, Estonia, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and Namibia.

The women all saw two sets of four composite images of Caucasian
men who had been digitally manipulated to show facial features
signaling different levels of testosterone and cortisol. The
women simply rated each man's attractiveness.

The researchers then compared the Human Development Index of each
country, a measurement involving average life expectancy,
education and income.

They found that these economic and social factors influenced
which faces women found hot. In low-development countries, women
preferred higher-testosterone faces. In these societies, women
who liked these macho faces were also more likely to rate
high-cortisol faces as attractive. In high-development countries,
such as the United States, women preferred less testosterone and
less cortisol.

Stress and masculinity

The study had some limitations, particularly the inclusion of
only Caucasian men to rate, Moore said. But the interaction
between testosterone and cortisol in low-development countries
suggests the need to control for or include the stress hormone in
research on hormonal cues, she said. Moore and her colleagues
reported their findings Tuesday (March 26) in the journal Biology
Letters.

Women may find high-testosterone men more appealing in countries
where survival is tougher and the need for good genes more
crucial, Moore said. In low-development countries, losing a mate
to infection is less likely, so choosing a committed,
non-aggressive partner may be more important than picking one
based on health.

Testosterone (and hormones in general) often have more complex
effects on behavior than stereotypes would suggest. The macho
hormone, for example, has been linked to
greater acceptance of safe sex, even though common sense
might suggest that manly guys would be bigger risk-takers.
Testosterone
dips during fatherhood, possibly in response to a need to
nurture a baby rather than sow wild oats, but the
sound of a crying infant can send the hormone spiking.